Labels

Monday, December 17, 2012

This tutorial was inspired by looks from the 1950's and 60's. The make
up was inspired from the 60's, a time when a dark eyeshadow crease was
popular. To create this look, here are the tools that I used. You can
use any brand of make up. You will need something to make your skin
flawless, like a foundation and concealer, a cream eye shadow, a brown
shadow and a black shadow. Some brushes to apply the make up including
an eyeliner brush, and a blending brush along with an eyebrow brush to
fill in the brows. You will also need false eyelashes and glue, some
mascara, liquid eyeliner and some blush and nude or red lipstick,
depending on the look you're trying to achieve.

As
always, start with a fresh face that is well moisturized. I use a
primer to even out the skin, but it's not necessary. On top of the
primer I apply my foundation. There are many ways to apply foundation
and I do it differently depending on the day. Today I dabbed it all over
my face and them blended it in with my foundation brush.

I
then applied concealer under my eyes and an eye shadow primer to my
eyelids. Eye shadow primer keeps the shadow from creasing and helps it
last longer.

I
then filled in my eyebrows with a brown wax using an angled brush. You
can use brown eye shadow or a brow pencil. Be sure to make a strong brow
with a nice arch. The arch should start just outside of the pupil and
extend down so if you were to hold a pencil as if were an extension of
your lower lid it would line up with the end of your brow.

Next,
I covered the entire eye lid in a cream colored shadow from the lid to
the brow. Then used an angled brush and a dark brown shadow to draw a
crease line just above my natural crease.

I then used the same crease brush and slowly pulled the shadow up to keep a crisp line on bottom, but blended on top. I then added more shadow using a smaller brush and kept blending, adding
more and more shadow in small increments. I also blended using a
blending brush and the cream shadow on the brow bone, which also creates
a nice highlight.

I
then used my angle brush with a black shadow and drew over my line to
create dimension. I softly blended the black up into the brown. A little
black goes a long way.

Next
I blocked in where the eyeliner would go. I'm using liquid eyeliner,
which can be very messy, so in order to know exactly where to apply it, I
first created a line with the dark brown shadow. Once it was the
correct shape for the look I was going for, I went over it with the
liquid eyeliner.

For
this particular look I wanted the angle to be very sharp. I drew a line
at the same angle as my bottom lid and extended it out almost to the
brow. I then brought the line back in from the top in a straight line
from the outer corner to just inside the pupil. This creates a strong
cat eye look. Curl your lashes if you need to and apply a light coat of mascara.

Next,
it is time for the false eyelashes. I find the easiest way to apply the
glue is to squeeze some onto your hand and then use the wrong end of a
brush to apply it to the strip. This allows you to control how much you
apply. You just need a little even coating. Let the glue dry for a few
minutes before applying so it will get tacky. Then you just carefully
lay the lashes across your real lashes and push it down so that it
touches as close to your lash line as possible. Then apply a nice coat
of mascara to your lashes again to help blend the real ones in with the
fake ones. Also apply mascara to your bottom lashes.

For
the rest of the face, I like to do some contouring to bring out the
cheekbones, so I apply a bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks.

I also applied a bright pink blush to the apples of my cheeks.

Finally,
since I have such strong eyes, and I am going for a 60's look, I
applied a nude lip liner and a nude lip shade. Make Up For Ever has a
line of Aqua lip colors that are waterproof. They are wonderful. You
apply your lipstick once and it stays all day.

Now
it's time for Hair!!!! I am going to show you how to do two different
hair styles. The first one is inspired by a style I saw on Mad Men and
the second is a more traditional 1950's look with bumper bangs and
victory rolls. They both require the use of a hair rat, also known as a
bun form. I bought mine a Sally's Beauty Supply. It's just a mesh tube
that you roll in your hair to make fuller buns, bumper bangs, etc. But
first, I almost always start a retro hair style by curling sections with
a large curling iron and then pin curling each section and letting it
cool to create lots of volume. I also tease each section a little at the
root to add volume.

Once
the curls have cooled, take it down carefully and brush out with your
fingers. I started this particular style by sectioning off the bangs and
the sections on top of each ear and created a pony tail on top of my
head.

I then took my hair rat (bun form) and rolled it down underneath my pony.

Once
I reach my crown, I created an arch and secured each end to my head
with bobby pins and then pulled each side over the ears back and secured
behind the ponytail. I also smoothed my bangs to the side and finished
the end with a pin curl.

Finally I topped it off with a tiny tiara! And here was my inspiration for this look.

The
second hair style is the bumper bangs and victory rolls. Start by
making a u-shaped part in your bangs. Then take your hair rat under your
bangs and pull it to the end and roll under until you reach your
forehead. Make sure to keep it tight.

Then spread the hair out evenly across the roll and bend the ends up and under and secure with bobby pins on each side.

Then
take a section of hair from above the ears and pull straight out. start
a pin curl at the end and roll in until you reach your head.

Pull
the roll next to the end of the bangs and secure from behind with bobby
pins to hide them. Smooth the hair from the victory roll into the
bangs. Here is the final look! If your feeling really saucy, change that
nude lip into a red one. Put on a fancy dress and wow them at your
holiday party.

Here are some photos with vintage inspired dresses from one of my favorite stores, Pin Up Girl Clothing.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Buy
your loved lady or girlfriends a session with Bouffants and Beehives for Christmas.
Gift certificates now available. $40 for a make up session, $50 for a
hair session or $75 for both. Email me at aliwilliams28@gmail.com if your interested.

I just finished doing a hair and makeup session with Greyline Creative Photography. Here are the results. We are going to be doing more retro glamour photo shoots in the future. Let me know if you are interested.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

This is a sneak peek of hair and make up for a fashion show in March. I am a participant in the Art Amiss fashion show as part of NWA Fashion week. My segment will be on Thursday, March 14, 2013 and will be a burlesque styled show with the theme of the seven deadly sins. Tickets are on sale. They are $35 per night and benefit the following charity of your choice:

I love movies. I've always thought it would be so much fun to work in the movie industry doing hair and make up. Here is a list of some of my favorite movies that always fill me with inspiration.

Blade Runner: Futuristic movie with a mixture of modern and vintage style. Daryl Hannah is amazing in this.

Cabaret: As unique and quirky as Liza Minnelli in style and sensibility.

Funny Face: Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire showcase her beauty and style in Paris.A perfect combination. I remember as a child watching in awe the scene where she comes downthe steps in the red dress with the shawl floating behind her.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Clara Bow was an actress in the 1920's during the silent film era. I don't normally go back as far as the 20's when it comes to hair and makeup, but I thought I would push myself a little bit. This tutorial is an example of how sometimes things don't turn out as planned, but you just improvise because there is no right or wrong way to do a look.

I wanted to do a finger wave for this hair style and I knew that my hair was too long, but I thought I would try it and see how it turned out. First I saturated my hair with a setting lotion called Lottabody. You have to dilute it with water and use a spray bottle to apply it.

Left: Lottabody & spray bottle Right: Saturated hair

I used finger wave clips to help the style hold. These aren't necessary, just an aid. I bought these at Sally Beauty Supply. I also made pin curls, one at my temple and two on each side above my ears.

Left: Finger Wave Clips Right: Pin curls

Using a comb I swept the hair back and across. I then pressed my index finger down and pushed the comb up to create a ridge. I then put the clip on the ridge to hold it. I then used the comb to sweep the hair in the opposite direction to create a "C" shape and continued to apply clips as I went.

Views of the placement of the finger wave clips.

After the hair was done I sat under my portable, vintage hair dryer that I've used in other tutorials. I then moved on to the makeup. The eyebrows are the most distinct characteristic of this look. In the 20's the eyebrows were over plucked and a thin line was drawn. Clara Bow's eyebrows curve down on the ends and create a look of permanent sadness. To cover my brows, I used Ben Nye nose and scar wax. I had this left over from Halloween. It's a sticky, skin colored substance used with prosthetic applications. It's hard to work with because it's so sticky and almost melts with the heat of your fingertips.

Ben Nye nose and scar wax.

I scooped out a little bit and rolled it between my hands to create a snake shape. I then flattened it a bit and spread it across my brows. This is not an easy task and can become a big mess quickly. Make sure and powder the brows well to set the wax.

Left: Application of the wax Right: Final blocking out of the eyebrows

Another issue with the wax is that as you wear it and as you apply makeup to it, it becomes more visible that you have covered your eyebrows. It's difficult to keep it seamless. The next step was to draw on the eyebrows. I used an eyeliner brush and a black eyeshadow. I then took a brown eyeshadow and contoured the inner corner of the eye and underneath the eye. Clara Bow had very dark eyelids and dark lips.

Left: Down turned, thin eyebrows Right: Dark shadow

I then used a black shadow to create a smokey effect on the outer corners of the eyes. I also used the same brush and shadow to line the eyes and smudged it underneath the eyes. I finally added mascara and used a light brown shadow to contour the bridge of my nose. Clara had a bit of a round tip on the end of her nose. I added just a bit of blush and blocked out my lips so I could create the signature lip shape. Clara Bow was just as known for her lips as she was for your eyebrows. Because it was a black and white time period, I used a black shadow to draw inside my natural lips shape. This was a distinct look of this time period.

So, as I said, you can tell that the more makeup I apply and the longer I wear it, the more obvious the eyebrows become. Also, after I took my hair down, I did not like the wave effect that I achieved, so I decided to go with a much softer, bobbed look. I rolled my hair under and pinned it to make it look shorter. I also rolled my bangs under to give the illusion that I actually have bangs.

It may not be the look I had originally envisioned, but I think the inspiration still comes through and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I want to emphasize this those who try recreating these or other makeup tutorials to help them understand that no two looks are alike and they don't always turn out how you thought, but it's all about being creative and having fun, so make it your own.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

I've decided that over the holidays I will be doing tutorials on some of my favorite classic Hollywood women. I chose to start with Ann Margaret because she was not just a style icon, but one of the very few women who could steal the spotlight from someone as charismatic as Elvis Presley. "Viva Las Vegas" is one of my favorite Elvis movies and Ann Margaret was beautiful in it, and of course I hold a special place in my heart for red heads.

I started by spraying a few things on my hair to create volume and to help the style hold. This included thickening spray at the roots. I then created a dramatic part starting at the arch of my eyebrow. I took one inch sections in the front, teased the base and used a large curling iron to curl the hair. After I curled it I created a stand up pin curl on base, meaning it is set on top of itself. This is all to create volume. Ann Margaret had lots of volume in her hair style.

I created three on top and then worked my way around the entire head. This look isn't about making the hair curly as much as it is making is voluminous.

Three stand up pin curls with a good tease at the base of each. It doesn't have to be neat.

You can see how big the pin curls are and how much they stand up.

Now that my hair is setting, I moved on to the makeup. I started by applying a face primer. I used a Sephora brand primer, but you can use any brand you like. It really does help to even out the skin and makes your makeup last longer. I also used an eyeshadow primer, Urban Decay, to help the eyeshadow stay and reduce creasing. I used my usual foundation, Makeup For Ever HD. I then lined my waterline with a white eyeliner pencil to make my eyes look bigger. This makeup look has more emphasis on the upper eye area with a clean under eye.

I then accentuated my eyebrows and slightly changed the shape making them fuller and rounder. I used a brown eyeshadow.

White eyeliner on the water line (left) Fuller and rounder brows (right)

I covered the entire lid with a dark gray called gunmetal from the Urban Decay Naked Palette and then swept a medium matte color across the crease of the eyelid. I applied these using my brush kit, also a Sephora brand. I rarely use the brush that came with the Naked Palette.

Gunmetal is the last on the right and the brown I used was Buck, the fifth from the left.

I used liquid eyeliner, but here is a little trick to get a clean wing on the outside corner of the eye. Use scotch tape to create a barrier. Once you are finished remove it and you will have a clean line every time. Add mascara to the top and bottom lashes.

Scotch tape mask for eyeliner (left) Another view of the eyeshadow (right)

Finally, I added some contour to the cheek bones and finished with a dusting of loose powder and red lip. Now it's time to take down the hair.

Contouring and a light blush (left) Taking down the pin curls (right)

Brush out the curls lightly with your fingers, then tease more wherever you need it. Use a bristle brush to smooth everything out and spray the hell out of it with hair spray. Another tip is to use the pointy end of a rat tail comb to add volume to areas that need it by lifting that area carefully. The goal is to get a large wave or waterfall effect in the bang area.

About Me

I am a graphic/web designer and an artist. I am married and have two weenie dogs. I watch way too many makeup tutorials on youtube and style my hair for fun even when I'm not going anywhere. I love to watch movies and have terrible taste in music.